These Alumni student(s) have taken the time to disclose their current employment as of writing in and have answered a few questions for the school - to read more about them, click on their profile.
2019-2021
Trainee Building Surveyor at Baily Garner
2017-2021
Assistant Quantity Surveyor
Trainee Site Manager
Not Provided
My best memory of the UTC was when my friends and I would sit around the circular tables in the Atrium and play card games during lunch time.
It can be difficult to know what you want to do at College/School, I would strongly recommend getting work experience in a variety of job roles and if you are determined to work in a specific profession try to work with numerous companies in that field. It is vital that you engage with employers at the earliest opportunity and start to build a network which will assist you when you start to apply for Apprenticeships (one of the best platforms for doing this is LinkedIn). Practice your interview skills and memorise the questions which are regularly asked for example: ‘Tell me about yourself’. Finally, ‘BE YOURSELF’, the employers will want to take on apprentices that are honest about their strengths/weaknesses and if you pretend to be someone else they will not be able to understand how you will fit into the company.
I decided to join Thomas Telford UTC as a Sixth form student back in 2019 after leaving my Secondary School. I made the decision to join the UTC because I had huge passion for Architecture and wanted to study relatable subjects to build upon this.
During my time at the UTC, I learnt that Architecture was not for me and decided to channel my passion of buildings into another profession – Project management. I applied for Project management with Baily Garner and after the interview process was considered for another role as a Building Surveyor. I was excited to accept the position and looking back I believe that Building Surveying was the most suitable role for me. As a Trainee Building Surveyor I have worked on a variety of projects which have furthered my understanding of the built environment and improved my communication skills and professionalism. Building Surveyors are typically on-site 40% of the week and in the office for the remaining 60% which provides me with variety in my Job role. I am thoroughly enjoying my apprenticeship with BG.
I am looking forward to obtaining my university degree and becoming an RICS Chartered Surveyor post my apprenticeship. I can’t wait to experience all of the opportunities that will arise along the way!
My best memory of UTC would have to be presenting to employers the employer projects I had worked on for months, the feeling of being proud of something you worked on with friends and designed something that you actually think is a great project is amazing.
Don’t be afraid to take a chance, worst case, you have to pick yourself up, but if you do you’ll learn about both what you want to do as well as yourself.
Whilst I was attending the UTC I was given the opportunity to complete the first employer project held by my now company Midland Metro Alliance, it was a great project to do due to its intricacies, it made the project a low more enjoyable and a better experience as a whole. During my A-Levels, I took part in a work experience week, in which we were given presentations around what the MMA stood for and what they strived to do as well as how they worked with the public and companies alike.
In the future I plan to complete both my university course as well as my apprentice. From this I will look to become a chartered surveyor, this will allow me to pursue higher roles as well as allow myself to be pushed and challenged in my job.
My advice for any student would be to find a role that you are passionate about. In the construction industry there are so many options and different career paths so my advice would be to get as much site experience as possible and find the role you have an interest in.
Whether it be management, surveying or design, working in the construction industry can be difficult at times with long hours, but it is a really rewarding career. There is so much to learn, so always ask questions and get as much out of every opportunity as possible.
Before choosing my GCSE options in 2017, I made the choice to move to the UTC this was the best option in terms of education to pursue a career in construction. Whilst at the UTC, I completed my GCSE and A-level qualifications and applied for universities however with my ambitions to become a site manager, I knew that an apprenticeship would open more doors for me and the most advantageous option for starting my career. I applied to various apprenticeships and accepted the role with BAM. I have since worked on a refurbishment of a school and hope to have more opportunities and be apart of various construction projects in the future.
My immediate plans are to complete my degree in construction management and get involved with as many different projects as possible to keep learning. My plans for the future are to take every opportunity as it comes and to make the most of my progression into the industry.